Building Offerings

An Ambiguous Ritual

Abstract

This article focuses on building offerings from the Iron Age in southern Scandinavia. In Scania and Denmark there are examples of such finds from all kinds of buildings. The deposited artefacts are just as varied as the functions and structures of the houses hosting the depositions. Among more ordinary sacrifices such as animal bones, ceramics and tools, we also find more remarkable finds like silver bracelets and gold-foil figures (guldgubbar).

The main issue is whether we can say anything about the rituals performed or the religious beliefs behind the archaeological record. Comparing the archaeological remains with the written sources about the cult of the Æsir, it becomes quite clear that the depositions in question represent something other than what is described by, for example, Snorri Sturluson.

The article also stresses the possibility that building offerings should be viewed as a kind of folk belief already in the Late Iron Age.